Refrigerating apparatus



May 3, 1927. K 6,835

E. .F. JAM ES RQEFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed July 26 1920 v Y .INVENTOR.

Patented May 3, 1927;

UNITED STATES EDWIN 1. JAMES, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

nnrmennarrne urana'rus.

Application filed July 26, 1920, Serial No. 398,925. Renewed March 14, 1927.

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and has for-its object to provide a simple, inexpensive "and effective apparatus of the above character which is adaptable for use in all seasons of the year Without requiring ice or other artificial cooling medium. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed outin the claims at the end of the specification. 1

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a building with my improved system of refrigeration installed therein.

' Figure 2 is a section on the line 2"2 of Figure 1.

The numeral 1 indicates some appropriate form of refrigerator or other heat insulated receptacle provided preferably adjacent the bottom thereof with an inlet 2 for cold air or other tempering medium; A passageway 3 connects the refrigerator with the outside air and has at its terminus a suitable intake box 4 provided with reticulated or other screening material 4 to prevent .the influx of dust or dirt particles. A passageway 5 connecting the refrigerator with a chimney, furnace flue or other suction or circulating means 6 enables the draft of the chimney to provide sutficient suction to .draw in the cold air and circulate the same through the refrigerator. To prevent any possible back draftin the chimney from blowing back into the refrigerator another passageway 7 preferably located adjacent the passageway 5 is provided in the chimney and has a check valve 8 pivoted at 9 to open with the presence of any back draftor. any increase in pressure on the chimney side of the valve. For purposes of illustration, I have shown my refrigerator located within the walls 10 of any suitable building, but it will be understood that my refrigerating apparatus is not necessarily limited for use .with such static structures.

In order to afford a source of cool air in the warmer seasons of the yearanother passageway 11 leads from the inlet orifice 2 of the refrigerator to some cooler portion of the house, such for example as the celler where another intake box may be provided with mesh or other screening 13 to prevent the passage of dust particles. For cooling the incoming air I provide as a tempering means a coil of pipe 14 which is connected with the usual house supply water system 15 so that the consumption of water in the house changes the water in. the coil 14 and 0 keeps the coil supplied with cool water. In order to afford a selective operation of either source of cold air shown, or to afford a means for the hand control of either source suitable valves 16 and 17 are located in the o5 passageways 3 and 11 respectively. Since in winter time the cold air outside may be at a temperature which endangers the freezing of the contents of the refrigerator, I have provided an automatic means for regulatingthe intake of cold air which-"comprises some usual form of thermostat 18 located within the refrigerator so as to be responsive to the temperature of the latter. Operatively connected with the thermostat 18 is the valve '15 19 shown in detail in Figure 2, as being provided with an outside casing 21 and an inside lining 22 which rotates within the outer casing. Apertures 23 and 24 provided in the lining 22 enables either the aperture 8 20 or the passageway 3 to be either entirely or partially opened or closed. In the position indicated in Figure 2 the passageway 3 is substantially entirely opened by the valve 19 and the aperture 20 is only slightly opened so that with the valve in this position most of the cold air comes through the passageway 3 but a small amount of warmer air from inside the room containing the refrigeratorvis allowed to pass through the ing system are the absence of ice, its simplias city and cheapness of both operation and construction since any usual form of refrigerator may be provided with the necessary inlet and outlet openings. The connection between the suction or circulating means and the refrigerator allows the draft to provide the necessary suction and insure a circulationv of the cooling medium within the refrigerator. By taking the cooling air from the cellar or other cool portions of the house and passin the same around a coil of pipe through which the service water circulates my refrigerating apparatus becomes adaptable for use in the warmer seasons of the year. The thermostatically operated valve 19 is an automatic means for preventing the freezing of the contents of the refrigerator inthe coldest weather.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a building having a natural draft flue and a refrigerating chamber therein, of conduit means connecting said flue with the upper portion of said chamber, connections between the lower portion of said chamber with the atmosphere inside and outside said building, respectively, valve means for differentially controlling said connec-" tons, and thermostatic means for operating Said valve means.

2. Ina refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a, building having a natural draft flue anda refrigerating chamber, of conduit means connecting said chamber and flue, cooling means, conducting means leading from said chamber to the atmosphere in said builrling, to the atmosphere outside said building and to said cooling means, valve means controlling said. conducting means, and an automatic relief valve in said flue to prevent back draft into said chamber.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a building, of a refrigerator in said building, a passageway leading from said refrigerator to the air outside the building, a second passageway connected with.

said first mentioned passageway, cooling means in said second passageway comprising a portion of the water supply system of the building, suction'means for establishing a current of air in the refrigerator and through said passageways, and temperature controlled means within the refrigerator 1'or controlling the admission of air thereto froni said passageways.

4. 111 a refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a building, of a refrigerator in said building, a passageway leading from said refrigerator to the air outside the building, a second passageway connected with said first mentioned passageway, cooling means in said second passageway comprising a portion of the Water supply system of the building, suction means for establishing a current of air in said passageways, a valve in said first mentioned passageway controlling an opening therein leading to the air in said building, and temperature con trolled means in the refrigeratorifor opening and closing said valve.

EDWIN F. JAMES. 

